Identity
![Three wounded soldiers with bandaged heads and hands inside a military vehicle during the First World War. Another soldier with a helmet sits in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/2a73c080-5ed4-43c7-9bef-866d76e332c0/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
The self
idea
What does it take for someone to become a ‘different person’?
What does it really mean when you say of an individual that they are so transformed as to be a ‘different person’?
by John Schwenkler
![Older woman sitting on beach chair; older man lying on a towel with head on a ball; colourful umbrellas and buildings in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/30dcab22-3cc6-4778-a0ff-af6ee16109a8/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Sex and sexuality
idea
Human bodies change through life. So does our sexuality
Sexual identity is more than sexual orientation. It develops and changes as our bodies develop and change through our lives
by Jana Byars
![Wooden shelves filled with books, framed pictures, small ornaments, a bowl, and various decorative items.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/fca8b519-5d00-4541-9746-970863ae376f/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Stories and literature
guide
How to nurture a personal library
An escape, a sanctuary, a place of pleasure, a memoir. Take these steps to ensure your library is just what you want it to be
by Freya Howarth
![A man with a beard and glasses wearing a wide-brimmed hat and blue clothes stands outdoors near a pond, with trees in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/7f34b318-4695-4865-83c9-076cccfbb76c/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Spirituality and religion
film
When his faith crumbles, an ‘Amish atheist’ rebuilds his world from scratch
Directed by Lance Edmands
![Painting depicting pioneers with covered wagons and oxen travelling through a valley, with mountains, a river, and people on horseback in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/c4cb268b-71a9-456c-aec6-98f7d3bddc87/v2-rt-final-gettyimages-3094186.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Identity
idea
I rebuilt my self-esteem by changing the story of who I am
I once clung to a dubious family legend to help me cope with a difficult childhood. I’ve since found a better story to tell
by Patricia Olsen
![Photo of five people smiling and interacting on wooden walkways between rustic homes built over water. Washing lines and houses are in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/4b4593a4-887b-4918-991b-bee8c62a3b03/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Sex and sexuality
idea
The new genomics of sexuality moves us beyond ‘born this way’
The new genomics of sexuality reflects a social and political reality that has moved beyond ‘born this way’ and the ‘gay gene’
by Joanna Wuest
![A Jewish man wearing glasses and a platchige biber hat, speaking into a microphone at a comedy club, with a brick wall and a blurred sign in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/29826279-a34b-4e14-ad12-08211e7823d5/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Laughter and comedy
film
An Orthodox Jew struggles to balance his two callings – religion and comedy
Directed by Jonathan Miller
![Painting depicting various racial mixtures in colonial Mexico, with different family groups labelled by their racial classifications.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8599abc0-0e07-4fe4-8674-5acdd8b792df/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Identity
idea
Why Spanish colonial officials feared the power of clothing
Colonial society depends on a clear distinction between the rulers and the ruled. Clothing could create problems
by Rebecca Earle
![Surreal painting of a side profile with various images including a daffodil, buildings, people, a mug, and a fish.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/7775b3d7-7708-4d93-8398-49efc17e6153/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Psychosis and schizophrenia
idea
People with psychosis can heal by rebuilding their life stories
The narrative identities of people with schizophrenia reveal its profound disruption – but also the potential for growth
by Henry R Cowan
![Person holding a vintage photograph featuring six people standing in a field with trees in the background.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/02306904-f3b7-4de3-b7a7-031ab60856e3/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Photography
film
Hawaii, reflected in intricate and dignified slow photography
Directed by Jake Viramontez